Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-02-04

HEROIC SURGERY.
A GIRLS LIFE SAVED IN A WONDERFUL
MANNER.
NEW YORK, January, 1j.-kate
Mearns is a servant in the house
hold of DR.. Otis, the celebrated
specialist. She is about twenty
years old, stout, rugged and mus
cular. That she is alive today IS
miraculous. On the day before
Christmas she was coming down
the second-stOry stairs. when
about halt way she tripped and
fell, and rolled to the bottom. In
her hand was a large,necked, thin
glass bottle. 1t struck against the
balustrade and broke off the neck
about two inches from the body OF
the bottle. DR.. Otis was in his Of
flee near the foot Of thu stairs and
heard the scream of the girl when
she fell. He rushed from his office
and found her lying on the floor
unconscious, with the neck Of the
bottle pressed into her neck.
There was some blood on her face
and neck, but the doctor had no
idea of the extent of the injury.
He reached over to take the bot
tie away. 1t did not move easily
and he gave a jerk, and as it came
away In his hand a gush OF blood
followed, which dyed the girls face
crimson in a second. Another
squirt followed Immediately and it
flashed over the doctors mind that
some large artery had been severed.
He bent over the prOstrate girl and
in the dim light could detect with
his skilled eye that the largest
amount
OF THE BLOOD
was dark -colOred and not arterlal.
Without a moments hesitation ne
forced his foreGnger and thumb
into the wound. 1t was located
below and in front Of the ear on the
left side. With the finger he was
able to find the jugular vein, and
pressed it against the muscular
tissue. The flow of blood was
checked to considerable extent.
He kept moving his thumb from
place to place, and pressing all the
while in the hope OF finding where
the squirting came from. The life
current was rapidly flowing, and 1t
was only a question of few sec
opds when the heart would cease
to beat. Every pulsation sent
forth a spurt of blood, growing fee
bier with each effort. The sickeD-
ing, ghastly palepess which comes
with syncope could be seen through
the blood that covered the girls
face, and the doctor lost hope. He
broke away new tissue with the
thumb, and forced it deeper into
the wound. He had hardly done
so, and pressed his thumb down
ward, when the blood ceased TO
spurt. Save slight oOzing from
the superficial vessels the hemor-
rhage was stopped
CAN THE GIRLS LIFE BE SAVED
Is there any chance Tor her now,
though the hemOrrhage is checked
DR.. Ohs's long experience could
only give a negative answer to
these queries. The iugular was
badly lacerated ; it might be cut in
two, and in the doctors opinion the
carotid artery had been opened,
though in a much less degree than
the iugular. DR.. Otis was puzzled
He tried to think of some way OF
tving the wounded vessels. This
would necessitate an operation and
more cutting of tissue and loss OF
blood. and this was entirely out OF
the question. There was no way
to get at the vessels, and If the
doctor would let up the pressure
for single second death would
speedily follow.
In a few moments after the ac-
cidcnt Dr. Otis sent for several OF
his assistants from Bellevue Hos
pital, and when they arrived the
unconscious girl was lifted with the
greatest care and carried into the
doctors Office and placed on the
operating chair. DR.. Otis sat by
the side still holding fast to the
wounded vessels. Several of the
assistants wanted to take his place,
but the danger of letting up on the
pressue was deemed too great, and
the old doctor, although not strong
determined TO hold fast his grip
UNTIL DEATH CAME OR DANGEB
WAS PAST.
How long before the danger would
be over? No one could tell. Min
utes heightened into hours. The
syncope continued. This was ia
vOrable, az it reduced the heart'
power and kept down the arterial
tension. A large clot of blood
formed in the wound around th'
Doctors fingers. The strain o
holding the arm IN position wa
very great. A temporary slim
was provided to relieve the weigh